05-solitude-第2章

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which　you　put　seems　to　me　not　to　be　the　most　important　question。

What　sort　of　space　is　that　which　separates　a　man　from　his　fellows

and　makes　him　solitary？　　I　have　found　that　no　exertion　of　the　legs

can　bring　two　minds　much　nearer　to　one　another。　　What　do　we　want

most　to　dwell　near　to？　　Not　to　many　men　surely；　the　depot；　the

post…office；　the　bar…room；　the　meeting…house；　the　school…house；　the

grocery；　Beacon　Hill；　or　the　Five　Points；　where　men　most　congregate；

but　to　the　perennial　source　of　our　life；　whence　in　all　our

experience　we　have　found　that　to　issue；　as　the　willow　stands　near

the　water　and　sends　out　its　roots　in　that　direction。　　This　will　vary

with　different　natures；　but　this　is　the　place　where　a　wise　man　will

dig　his　cellar。。。。　　I　one　evening　overtook　one　of　my　townsmen；　who

has　accumulated　what　is　called　〃a　handsome　property〃　　though　I

never　got　a　fair　view　of　it　　on　the　Walden　road；　driving　a　pair　of

cattle　to　market；　who　inquired　of　me　how　I　could　bring　my　mind　to

give　up　so　many　of　the　comforts　of　life。　　I　answered　that　I　was　very

sure　I　liked　it　passably　well；　I　was　not　joking。　　And　so　I　went　home

to　my　bed；　and　left　him　to　pick　his　way　through　the　darkness　and　the

mud　to　Brighton　　or　Bright…town　　which　place　he　would　reach　some

time　in　the　morning。

　　　　Any　prospect　of　awakening　or　coming　to　life　to　a　dead　man　makes

indifferent　all　times　and　places。　　The　place　where　that　may　occur　is

always　the　same；　and　indescribably　pleasant　to　all　our　senses。　　For

the　most　part　we　allow　only　outlying　and　transient　circumstances　to

make　our　occasions。　　They　are；　in　fact；　the　cause　of　our

distraction。　　Nearest　to　all　things　is　that　power　which　fashions

their　being。　　Next　to　us　the　grandest　laws　are　continually　being

executed。　　Next　to　us　is　not　the　workman　whom　we　have　hired；　with

whom　we　love　so　well　to　talk；　but　the　workman　whose　work　we　are。

　　　　〃How　vast　and　profound　is　the　influence　of　the　subtile　powers　of

Heaven　and　of　Earth！〃

　　　　〃We　seek　to　perceive　them；　and　we　do　not　see　them；　we　seek　to

hear　them；　and　we　do　not　hear　them；　identified　with　the　substance　of

things；　they　cannot　be　separated　from　them。〃

　　　　〃They　cause　that　in　all　the　universe　men　purify　and　sanctify

their　hearts；　and　clothe　themselves　in　their　holiday　garments　to

offer　sacrifices　and　oblations　to　their　ancestors。　　It　is　an　ocean

of　subtile　intelligences。　　They　are　everywhere；　above　us；　on　our

left；　on　our　right；　they　environ　us　on　all　sides。〃

　　　　We　are　the　subjects　of　an　experiment　which　is　not　a　little

interesting　to　me。　　Can　we　not　do　without　the　society　of　our　gossips

a　little　while　under　these　circumstances　　have　our　own　thoughts　to

cheer　us？　　Confucius　says　truly；　〃Virtue　does　not　remain　as　an

abandoned　orphan；　it　must　of　necessity　have　neighbors。〃

　　　　With　thinking　we　may　be　beside　ourselves　in　a　sane　sense。　　By　a

conscious　effort　of　the　mind　we　can　stand　aloof　from　actions　and

their　consequences；　and　all　things；　good　and　bad；　go　by　us　like　a

torrent。　　We　are　not　wholly　involved　in　Nature。　　I　may　be　either　the

driftwood　in　the　stream；　or　Indra　in　the　sky　looking　down　on　it。　　I

may　be　affected　by　a　theatrical　exhibition；　on　the　other　hand；　I　may

not　be　affected　by　an　actual　event　which　appears　to　concern　me　much

more。　　I　only　know　myself　as　a　human　entity；　the　scene；　so　to　speak；

of　thoughts　and　affections；　and　am　sensible　of　a　certain　doubleness

by　which　I　can　stand　as　remote　from　myself　as　from　another。　　However

intense　my　experience；　I　am　conscious　of　the　presence　and　criticism

of　a　part　of　me；　which；　as　it　were；　is　not　a　part　of　me；　but

spectator；　sharing　no　experience；　but　taking　note　of　it；　and　that　is

no　more　I　than　it　is　you。　　When　the　play；　it　may　be　the　tragedy；　of

life　is　over；　the　spectator　goes　his　way。　　It　was　a　kind　of　fiction；

a　work　of　the　imagination　only；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned。　　This

doubleness　may　easily　make　us　poor　neighbors　and　friends　sometimes。

　　　　I　find　it　wholesome　to　be　alone　the　greater　part　of　the　time。

To　be　in　company；　even　with　the　best；　is　soon　wearisome　and

dissipating。　　I　love　to　be　alone。　　I　never　found　the　companion　that

was　so　companionable　as　solitude。　　We　are　for　the　most　part　more

lonely　when　we　go　abroad　among　men　than　when　we　stay　in　our

chambers。　　A　man　thinking　or　working　is　always　alone；　let　him　be

where　he　will。　　Solitude　is　not　measured　by　the　miles　of　space　that

intervene　between　a　man　and　his　fellows。　　The　really　diligent

student　in　one　of　the　crowded　hives　of　Cambridge　College　is　as

solitary　as　a　dervish　in　the　desert。　　The　farmer　can　work　alone　in

the　field　or　the　woods　all　day；　hoeing　or　chopping；　and　not　feel

lonesome；　because　he　is　employed；　but　when　he　comes　home　at　night　he

cannot　sit　down　in　a　room　alone；　at　the　mercy　of　his　thoughts；　but

must　be　where　he　can　〃see　the　folks；〃　and　recreate；　and；　as　he

thinks；　remunerate　himself　for　his　day's　solitude；　and　hence　he

wonders　how　the　student　can　sit　alone　in　the　house　all　night　and

most　of　the　day　without　ennui　and　〃the　blues〃；　but　he　does　not

realize　that　the　student；　though　in　the　house；　is　still　at　work　in

his　field；　and　chopping　in　his　woods；　as　the　farmer　in　his；　and　in

turn　seeks　the　same　recreation　and　society　that　the　latter　does；

though　it　may　be　a　more　condensed　form　of　it。

　　　　Society　is　commonly　too　cheap。　　We　meet　at　very　short　intervals；

not　having　had　time　to　acquire　any　new　value　for　each　other。　　We

meet　at　meals　three　times　a　day；　and　give　each　other　a　new　taste　of

that　old　musty　cheese　that　we　are。　　We　have　had　to　agree　on　a

certain　set　of　rules；　called　etiquette　and　politeness；　to　make　this

frequent　meeting　tolerable　and　that　we　need　not　come　to　open　war。

We　meet　at　the　post…office；　and　at　the　sociable；　and　about　the

fireside　every　night；　we　live　thick　and　are　in　each　other's　way；　and

stumble　over　one　another；　and　I　think　that　we　thus　lose　some　respect

for　one　another。　　Certainly　less　frequency　would　suffice　for　all

important　and　hearty　communications。　　Consider　the　girls　in　a

factory　　never　alone；　hardly　in　their　dreams。　　It　would　be　better

if　there　were　but　one　inhabitant　to　a　square　mile；　as　where　I　live。

The　value　of　a　man　is　not　in　his　skin；　that　we　should　touch　him。

　　　　I　have　heard　of　a　man　lost　in　the　woods　and　dying　of　famine　and

exhaustion　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　whose　loneliness　was　relieved　by

the　grotesque　visions　with　which；　owing　to　bodily　weakness；　his

diseased　imagination　surrounded　him；　and　which　he　believed　to　be

real。　　So　also；　owing　to　bodily　and　mental　health　and　strength；　we

may　be　continually　cheered　by　a　like　but　more　normal　and　natural

society；　and　come　to　know　that　we　are　never　alone。

　　　　I　have　a　great　deal　of　company　in　my　house；　especially　in　the

morning；　when　nobody　calls。　　Let　me　suggest　a　few　comparisons；　that

some　one　may　convey　an　idea　of　my　situation。　　I　am　no　more　lonely

than　the　loon　in　the　pond　that　laughs　so　loud；　or　than　Walden　Pond

itself。　　What　company　has　that　lonely　lake；　I　pray？　　And　yet　it　has

not　the　blue　devils；　but　the　blue　angels　in　it；　in　the　azure　tint　of

its　waters。　　The　sun　is　alone；　except　in　thick　weather；　when　there

sometimes　appear　to　be　two；　but　one　is　a　mock　sun。　　God　is　alone　

but　the　devil；　he　is　far　from　being　alone；　he　sees　a　great　deal　of

company；　he　is　legion。　　I　am　no　more　lonely　than　a　single　mullein　or

dandelion　in　a　pasture；　or　a　bean　leaf；　or　sorrel；　or　a　horse…fly；

or　a　bumblebee。　　I　am　no　more　lonely　than　the　Mill　Brook；　or　a

weathercock；　or　the　north　star；　or　the　south　wind；　or　an　April

shower；　or　a　January　thaw；　or　the　first　spider　in　a　new　house。

　　　　I　have　occasional　visits　in　the　long　winter　evenings；　when　the

snow　falls　fast　and　the　wind　howls　in　the　wood；　from　an　old　settler

and　original　proprietor；　who　is　reported　to　have　dug　Walden　Pond；

and　stoned　it；　and　fringed　it　with　pine　woods；　who　tells　me　stories

of　old　time　and　of　new　eternity；　and　between　us　we　manage　to　pass　a

cheerful　evening　wi